Health care alarm
There’s something strange in the neighborhood. Who you gonna call? Your senators, I hope.
In all seriousness, while so much attention has been (rightly) focused on the Trump/Russia investigation, a small committee of Senate Republicans have been working diligently behind closed doors to draft a bill that will dramatically alter the U.S. health care system as we know it.
This bill is being crafted in such secrecy that even other Republican senators have no idea what’s in it, something that’s caused significant alarm on both sides of the aisle.
That alarm is more than warranted. The so-called American Health Care Act (Trumpcare) passed by the House was bad enough, but what info has come out about the Senate version so far paints an even slimier picture. An estimated 23 million Americans will lose health insurance entirely. Medicaid (primarily administered via Wisconsin’s Badgercare program), which serves millions of people statewide through various programs, would face significant cuts.
If Trumpcare passes, the average health insurance premium in Wisconsin will increase by an estimated $910 in 2018. Total health insurance coverage losses would average $416,600. People with pre-existing conditions (such as diabetes, HIV/AIDS and women who’ve been pregnant) would again face discrimination in seeking coverage.
The bill likely will reduce women’s access to reproductive health care, defund Planned Parenthood (which is a crucial health care source especially for transgender people and folks of all genders with limited income), and even reduce coverage for kids. The House bill also used Medicaid and other cuts to give the extremely wealthy an enormous $836 billion tax cut. There are rumors the Senate measure would cut even more.
We’re not just talking negative impacts to the individual market, either. People with employerbased insurance plans also would face significant cuts to services and increased premiums. A recent amendment to the AHCA could allow employers to gut certain Obamacare provisions, including lifting the ban on lifetime limits for essential services such as emergency room visits, mental health care, prenatal care and certain prescriptions.
All of this and more is being done with zero public input, committee hearings, town halls, or even an opportunity for legislators from either party to read what’s in the bill. There have been no chances for Democrats to offer input or amendments for consideration, something Republicans have and would again lose their minds over if done to them.
When even Republican senators such as Ron Johnson have questions about the process, you know we’re in it deep: “I come from a manufacturing background. I’ve solved a lot of problems. It starts with information. Seems like around here, the last step is getting information, which doesn’t seem to be necessarily the most effective process.”
I never thought I’d agree with Johnson, but here we are.
Health care represents about one-sixth of the U.S. economy, with about 20 million people who were previously uninsured having gained coverage under the ACA. This bill, if passed, would have far-reaching implications. Either you or someone you know will be negatively impacted.
We should be lighting up the switchboards and inboxes of every senator with our personal stories and stances. We should be demanding town hall meetings with our representatives wherein they explain exactly what’s in the bill and why they do or don’t support it. If a senator or congressperson backs this legislation, they should be comfortable making the case to their constituents or face the consequences at the polls at the next election.